Today is my birthday!!!!! It's hard to believe I am 28! I still feel so young at heart and I am just loving life in spite of the challenges and stresses that come! This week was so much fun. :) On Tuesday I got to go and interpret at my favorite place to interpret..the MTC!The speakers were great and I just love the group of ASL missionaries that are there right now. On Thursday I participated in the Temple to Temple 5K! It was a great way to start of Pioneer Day and I loved it! It was also my best friend's birthday!!! Hip hip hooray! We went out to lunch and then went and watched How to Train Your Dragon 2! Even though I had seen it once before I bawled my eyes out. It definitely has to be one of my all time favorite movies! Friday, my little brother GOT MARRIED! It was a wonderful day and Lindsey already feels like a sister to me so it wasn't a surreal moment, it just felt right! Mike and Lindsey are a great match and I just love them!!!
I recently read an article talking about 30 life lessons everyone should learn by age 30. That got me thinking about the lessons that I have learned in my life so far. I had a whole plan for this post to be all about those life lessons, but one of the lessons I was going to mention turned into an entire post....I don't know if it makes a lot of sense, but I feel like it is something that I needed to share so I hope that somehow it will make a difference to someone out there who reads my blog.
One of the first life lessons that I have learned is that I should try to be nice to people no matter what. I need to be careful what I say because you never know what someone else is going through. I know I am guilty of saying things that I shouldn't and being quick to judge. But I am trying hard to be better everyday and I think I am getting better.
I have had to learn this lesson by being the recipient of unkind words. Three specific occasions come to my mind. I won't go into detail because it's personal and I don't feel like I need to expand and relive everything that was said. But I remember the words of people not understanding and saying things so hurtful that I thought my heart might break. Each time this has happened I cry my eyes out and have to find the will power to pray for strength, comfort, and peace. It is hard to do. It is especially difficult when the hurtful things said come from people of my faith. People who are supposed to be doing righteous things and being Christ-like. I ask myself, how can this be happening? It is almost mind-blowing. I have to come to my senses and remind myself that people in the church are not perfect. The Gospel is not for perfect people. It is for people with flaws, weaknesses, shortcomings, sins, and imperfections.
These experiences have helped me learn that I have to be solid. What has been said to me could have been a real testimony and faith shaker. I am grateful that in those moments I was able to remember my temple covenants, to remember the things that matter most, and to not let one person's stupid comment drive me away from the Gospel and the church.
I know there have been some that have left because of mean and horrible comments. Because of the experiences that I have had I feel like I understand somewhat what they have been through. It is hard to believe that God can let bad things happen to you when you are just trying to do what's right. How can he let people who are in the church say such mean things? I guess a lot of it comes down to the fact that people have their agency. Sometimes people don't have the Spirit when they are talking to you. Sometimes people have bad days. Sometimes people simply don't understand what is appropriate to say and what's not. Whatever the reason, these things happen. In those moments you have to cling to what you know. People do not equal the principles of the Gospel. The principles and truthfulness of the Gospel remain the same. Remember your testimony, remember the moments you have felt the Spirit and know that this difficult and painful experience too shall pass.
In all honesty I almost wish I wouldn't have had to go through these experiences and hear what I had to hear. But at the same time I am grateful that I have been able to learn first hand the importance of being ever so careful in the words that I speak. I have learned that I need to be quick to forgive and slow to anger, that I need to be slow to judge and quick to love. I hope I will never say anything to anyone that would be insensitive or unkind. And if and probably when I do, I hope I realize my mistake and am quick to say I'm sorry. What we say has such an influence for bad OR for good. I hope that what I say can always be for good.
These are a few General conference talks that I love related to all of this...They really are worth watching.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/the-tongue-of-angels?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/come-join-with-us?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/and-nothing-shall-offend-them?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1982/04/a-brother-offended?lang=eng
